Investigation of Benghazi

The terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012 was a sobering reminder of the virulent and dangerous threats facing the United States, its interests, and its partners.

Shortly after the attack, House Republicans asked the Obama administration to explain to the American people the Administration’s actions leading up to and during the attack itself, as well as the fact that publicly-available information consistently contradicted Administration accounts describing the cause and nature of the attack. Our fight for answers and justice continues today.

For over a year now, House Committees have engaged in serious, deliberate, and exhaustive oversight investigations of what led up to this tragic event, what happened that night, and why the White House still refuses to tell the whole truth. All of the unclassified information and findings from this ongoing investigation can be found on this website.

House Committees’ Reports on Benghazi Investigation

The House committees investigating the attack have produced reports outlining what has been learned and what information we continue to seek on behalf of the American people and the families of the victims.

• House Committee on Armed Services Majority Interim Report: Benghazi Investigation Update (February 10, 2014)
• House Committee on Foreign Affairs Majority Staff Report on Benghazi (February 7, 2014)
• House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Interim Report on the Accountability Review Board (September 16, 2013)
• House Committees’ Interim Report on Benghazi Investigation (April 23, 2013)

House Committee on Armed Services

The Committee on Armed Services has received and reviewed hundreds of pages of written material, much of it classified, from Department of Defense. The committee has also convened two open hearings, seven classified Member briefings, and three classified staff briefings.

General Martin Dempsey (the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff), General Carter Ham (who commanded U.S. Africa Command at the time of the attack), other general and flag officers, and senior civilian defense officials appeared before the committee. They provided information about DOD actions in connection with the attack, and described constraints on deploying other forces, including drones and fighter aircraft.

The committee also heard from field-grade officers who were in Libya at the time, or in contact with those who were, to discern their understanding of events and the Department’s operational limitations. Thus, the committee has met with and received information from military personnel in the entire chain of command in connection with Benghazi: from those on the ground at the time of the attack to the nation’s senior-most uniformed leader.

Furthermore, staff has conducted additional interviews of military officers and DOD is making arrangements for more in coming weeks. This includes individuals who have already provided information (who will appear for further questioning and clarification) and some who will be questioned for the first time.

• Fact Sheet and Overview of Benghazi Attack
• The following are declassified transcripts of briefings on the September 11, 2012 attack on Americans in Benghazi, Libya.
  • Transcript #1: “DOD’s preparation for the terrorist attacks in Benghazi,” (Part I, Session I, DOD), May 21, 2013
  • Transcript #2: “DOD’s preparation for the terrorist attacks in Benghazi,” (Part I, Session II DOD), May 21, 2013
  • Transcript #3: “DOD’s preparation for the terrorist attacks in Benghazi,” (Part II, AFRICOM), June 26, 2013
  • Transcript #4: “DOD’s preparation for the terrorist attacks in Benghazi,” (Part III, Colonel Bristol), July 31, 2013
  • Transcript #5: “DOD’s posture for September 11, 2013,” (Part IV, Force Posture), September 19, 2013
  • Transcript #6: “DOD’s force posture in anticipation of September 11, 2012,” (Part V, General Dempsey), October 10, 2013

House Committee on Foreign Affairs

The Committee on Foreign Affairs has been actively engaged since September 11, 2012 in oversight work related to the Benghazi terrorist attacks. To date, the Committee has held four public hearings with senior State Department officials, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and other experts. Additionally, the Committee has held two classified Member briefings. Chairman Ed Royce has authored, or sent jointly with sister committees, 14 oversight letters to the Administration, while investigative staff has reviewed over 25,000 pages of documents reluctantly produced by the Department.

• Hearing Transcripts
  • “Benghazi: Where is the State Department Accountability?” September 18, 2013
  • “Securing U.S. Interests Abroad: The FY 2014 Foreign Affairs Budget,” April 17, 2013
    NOTE: At the HCFA annual hearing on the foreign affairs budget, Committee Members engaged with Secretary Kerry on Benghazi. These passages are highlighted and can be found on pp. 2-3, 13-14, 26, 35-37, 39-42, 48-49, 53-55, and 59. For additional discussion, please see the Department of State’s answers to questions for the record on pp. 92-135.
  • “Terrorist Attack in Benghazi: The Secretary of State’s View,” January 23, 2013
  • “Benghazi Attack, Part II: The Report of the Accountability Review Board,” December 20, 2012
  • “Benghazi and Beyond: What Went Wrong on September 11, 2012 and How to Prevent it from Happening at other Frontline Posts, Part I,” November 15, 2012
• 1/28/13 Clinton-State
  • Outgoing: 04.15.13 – State Dept, Sec. of State, Royce Chaffetz Issa
  • Outgoing: 2013-01-28-DEI-Royce-Chaffetz-to-Clinton-State-ARB-due-2-11
• 1/31/13 ARB Recommendations
  • Incoming: 03.29.13 – State Dept, RE Issa Royce Chaffetz to Clinton-State
  • Outgoing: 01.31.13 – State Dept, Sec. Clinton – ARB recommendations
• 4/23/13 Interim Report 5 Cmte Letter
  • Outgoing: 04.23.13 – POTUS, Five Committee letter re Benghazi
• 5/15/13 Talking Points
  • Incoming: 05.20.13 – State Dept, Gibbons, RE DEI & Royce Benghazi-related emails
  • Outgoing: 05.15.13 – State Dept, Sec. Kerry, DEI & Royce – Benghazi talking points due 5-20
• 05/27/13 OIG Continued Concerns
  • Incoming: 05.10.13 – OIG, Dep. IG Harold Geisel, Under review RE Continued concerns with ARB report
  • Outgoing: 05.10.13 – OIG, Dep. IG Harold Geisel, Continued concerns with ARB report
  • Outgoing: 09.27.13 – OIG, Dep IG Geisel, Questions on OIG ARB Review
• 05/29/13 Status of ARB-Cited Employees
  • Incoming: 08.23.13 – State Dept, RE. Status of ARB-cited employees
  • Outgoing: 05.29.13 – State Dept, Sec. Kerry, Status of ARB-cited employees
• 10/30/13 Benghazi Annex Response
  • Incoming: 10.30.13 – DOD, Hagel, RE. Benghazi Annex response
  • Incoming: 11.12.13 – State, Kerry, RE. Benghazi Annex response
  • Incoming: 12.11.13 – CIA, RE. Benghazi Annex response
  • Outgoing: 2013-10-30 DEI & Royce to Brennan-CIA – Benghazi Annex response
  • Outgoing: 2013-10-30 DEI & Royce to Hagel-DOD – Benghazi Annex response
  • Outgoing: 2013-10-30 DEI & Royce to Kerry-DOS – Benghazi Annex response
• 10/30/13 Rewards for Justice Program
  • Incoming: 11.15.13 – State Dept, Kerry, RE. Benghazi Rewards for Justice
  • Outgoing: 10.30.13 – State Dept, Kerry, Benghazi Rewards for Justice
• 11/21/13 Request to Interview Surviving DS Agents
  • Outgoing: 3.26.14 – State Dept, Kerry
  • Outgoing: 11.21.13 – State Dept, Kerry
• 11/19/13 Benghazi Four Employment Status Update
  • Incoming: 01.17.14 -State Dept, RE. Benghazi Four Employment Status Update
  • Outgoing: 11.19.13 – State Dept, Kerry, Beghazi Four Employment Status Update
  • Outgoing: 12.13.13 – State, Follow-up on status ARB-cited employees
• 05/01/14 Document Delays and Discrepancies
  • Outgoing: 05.01.14 – State Secretary Kerry Benghazi Attack

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has held three public hearings related to the terrorist attacks in Benghazi and conducted over a dozen transcribed interviews with relevant officials in the State Department and the Department of Defense.

The Committee’s efforts first brought to light the accounts of some of the most significant and authoritative voices: Gregory Hicks, Ambassador Christopher Stevens’ top deputy in Libya; Eric Nordstrom who served as the top U.S. security official in Libya in months prior to the attack; Lt. Colonel Andrew Wood, the leader of a Special Operations group that had to leave Libya after requests for an extension of mission were denied; and Mark Thompson, a State Department anti-terrorism official who explained that top officials interceded against response efforts that could have shed light on responsibility for the attack.

Most importantly, the Committee’s efforts have continually advanced the understanding and raised new questions about the lack of security in Benghazi, an inadequate military response, and why Administration officials continued to publicly press a narrative of a public protest when eye witnesses knew no such event occurred.

• Hearings
  • “Benghazi, Instability, and a New Government: Successes and Failures of U.S. Intervention in Libya,” May 1, 2014
  • “Reviews of the Benghazi Attacks and Unanswered Questions,” September, 19, 2013
  • “Benghazi: Exposing Failure and Recognizing Courage,” May 8, 2013
  • “The Security Failures of Benghazi,” October 10, 2012
• Transcript: Deposition of Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering, June 4, 2013
• Transcript: Interview of Admiral Michael G. Mullen, June 19, 2013
• Incoming Correspondence
  • 2012-10-02 Clinton-DOS to DEI – Incident Reports in Libya re 10-2
  • 2012-10-18 Adams-State to DEI – transcribed interview request Dar-Keshap-Polaschik re 10-16
  • 2012-11-06 Adams-DOS to DEI & Chaffetz – Benghazi Bombing Investigation re 10-29
  • 2012-11-12 Adams-DOS to DEI & Chaffetz – 3rd tranche response Benghazi re 9-20
  • 2012-11-19 Adams-DOS to DEI – response rerequest docs Benghazi re 11-16
  • 2012-11-30 Adams-DOS to DEI & Chaffetz- 4th tranche response Benghazi re 9-20
  • 2012-12-07 Adams-DOS to DEI – 5th tranche response Banghazi re 9-20
  • 2012-12-17 Adams-DOS to DEI & Chaffetz – response Benghazi Bombing Investigation re 10-29
  • 2012-12-18 Adams-DOS to DEI – Benghazi surrounding circumstances re 11-16
  • 2013-01-02 Adams-DOS to DEI & Chaffetz – 6th response Benghazi re 9-20
  • 2013-01-14 Adams-DOS to Chaffetz – response Benghazi re 9-20
  • 2013-03-29 Gibbons-DOS to DEI – response ARB re 1-28
  • 2013-04-30 Taylor-DOD to DEI – response attorney clearance process Benghazi re 4-16
  • 2013-05-01 Gibbons-DOS to DEI – attorney clearance process Benghazi re 4-16
  • 2013-05-07 Gibbons-DOS to DEI – response Benghazi Thompson and Hicks re 4-26, 5-6
  • 2013-05-16 Pickering & Mullen-ARB to DEI – Benghazi re 5-13, 5-15
  • 2013-05-20 Gibbons-DOS to DEI – response Benghazi talking points re 5-15
  • 2013-06-07 Gibbons-DOS to DEI – Benghazi subpoena re 5-28
  • 2013-07-05 Gibbons-DOS to DEI – transcribed interviews Benghazi re 5-17
  • 2013-07-16 Gibbons-DOS to DEI – response Benghazi subpoena re 5-28
  • 2013-07-24 Gibbons-DOS to DEI – response Document Production Benghazi re 4-26
  • 2013-08-08 Gibbons-DOS to DEI – administrative leave ARB Benghazi re 7-31
  • 2013-08-16 Gibbons-DOS to DEI – Benghazi documents and email re 8-8
  • 2013-08-23 Gibbons-DOS to DEI – administrative leave ARB Benghazi re 7-31
  • 2013-08-29 Gibbons-DOS to DEI – Benghazi documents re 8-1 subpoena
  • 2013-08-30 Gibbons-DOS to DEI – Benghazi documents re 8-1 subpoena
  • 2013-09-13 Gibbons-DOS to DEI – Benghazi documents re 8-1 subpoena
• Outgoing Correspondence
  • 2012-09-20 Chaffetz to Clinton-DOS – Benghazi Attack due 10-4
  • 2012-10-02 DEI Chaffetz to Clinton
  • 2012-10-19 DEI Chaffetz to President
  • 2012-10-29 DEI & Chaffetz to Clinton-DOS – Benghazi Bombing Investigation due 11-5
  • 2012-11-01 DEI to Clinton re Benghazi
  • 2012-11-16 DEI & Chaffetz to Clinton-DOS – rerequest docs Benghazi
  • 2013-04-26 DEI to Kerry-DOS – Document Production Benghazi
  • 2013-05-03 DEI to Hagel-DOD – Witness retaliation Benghazi
  • 2013-05-03 DEI to Kerry-DOS – Witness retaliation Benghazi
  • 2013-05-06 DEI to Kerry-DOS – Benghazi Thompson and Hicks
  • 2013-05-13 DEI to Mullen-ARB – Benghazi due 5-17
  • 2013-05-13 DEI to Pickering-ARB – Benghazi due 5-17
  • 2013-05-15 DEI to Pickering – follow up transcribed interview Benghazi
  • 2013-05-17 DEI to Kerry DOS request employee transcribed interviews
  • 2013-05-17 DEI to Pickering-ARB – Benghazi transcribed interview subpoena 5-23
  • 2013-05-28 DEI to Kerry
  • 2013-05-28 DEI to Kerry-DOS – Benghazi subpoena cover letter
  • 2013-06-24 DEI to Kerry-DOS – subpoena for Benghazi depositions
  • 2013-07-31 DEI to Kerry-DOS – administrative leave ARB Benghazi due 8-7
  • 2013-08-08 DEI to Nuland DOS Benghazi documents and email due 8-15
  • 2013-08-22 Grassley & DEI to Geisel-DOS IG – Benghazi communication with Congress
  • 2013-09-05 DEI to Kerry-DOS – Benghazi ARB subpoena re 8-23 due 9-19
  • 2013-09-10 DEI to Kerry-DOS – Benghazi survivor interviews due 9-24
  • 2013-09-30 DEI to Holder-DOJ – Benghazi survivor Henderson interview re 9-23, 9-27
• Report and Transcripts
  • 2013-06-04 Deposition Transcript – Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering
  • 2013-06-19 Interview Transcript – Admiral Michael G. Mullen
  • Benghazi-ARB-Majority-Staff-Report2

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence held Full Committee oversight events with National Counterterrorism Center Director Matt Olsen and then-CIA Director David Petraeus on September 13th and 14th 2012–directly after the attack. Since then, the Committee has held an additional 14 full Committee events including regular hearings on the Administration’s efforts to identify the attackers.

The Committee has interviewed nine eyewitnesses to the attacks–including the senior CIA officer in Benghazi that night. Former FBI Director Robert Mueller, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and former Deputy CIA Director Michael Morell are among those who have testified to the Committee. Committee staff has reviewed the FBI intelligence reports taken from the survivors in the days following the attack as well as thousands of pages of intelligence reports, assessments, and administration emails leading up to and after the Benghazi terrorist attack. Chairman Rogers has sent three letters to the Administration during the course of the Committee’s ongoing investigation.

• HPSCI Update on Benghazi
• Committee Spotlight: Chairman Mike Rogers on Benghazi Investigation
• Open Hearing on Benghazi Talking Points and Michael J. Morell’s role in shaping the Administration’s narrative (April 2, 2014)
• Released administration e-mails associated with the crafting of the talking points
  • Talking Points Emails: Pages 1-10
  • Talking Points Emails: Pages 11-20
  • Talking Points Emails: Pages 21-30
  • Talking Points Emails: Pages 31-40
  • Talking Points Emails: Pages 41-50
  • Talking Points Emails: Pages 51-60
  • Talking Points Emails: Pages 61-70
  • Talking Points Emails: Pages 71-80
  • Talking Points Emails: Pages 81-90
  • Talking Points Emails: Pages 91-100